...the end of summer

Oh it's still shorts and T shirt weather, but the truth is...summer is over. We're not officially back on the clock until Wednesday, but like most teachers, I've already put in several hours at school and will put in many more before kids show up a week from tomorrow. It has been a good summer. I spent time with family, took an interesting class, got Arlene moved into her new home (Yay!), sewed like a maniac, read several good books, and put many miles on the bike. I'm rested and ready. It's going to be a good year.

...the first week of school

Whew! We made it! An exhausting non-stop week is behind us. Now to regroup, rest up, and be ready for Monday. Some highs and lows:

Highs--

• Fun, cute freshmen who haven't quite figured out their schedules, locker combinations or my sense of humor.
• Someone I had as a freshman is back to get her diploma--after having 2 babies. So glad she's back in school!
• All but one of my newcomers from last year are back again this year.
• Four new newcomers with that "deer in the headlights" look . :-)

Lows--

• More work, less time to do it--thanks, budget cuts! (How NOT to live at school this year will be the challenge.)
• Schedules that just don't work no matter how hard you try.
• Bells weren't working ...but neither was the intercom...so maybe that should be a "high?" hmmm...
• Too many boys sporting red shirts in the halls today...hmmm again.

And now...I'm headed out to blow off some steam...a beautiful afternoon for a ride.

...the end of summer vacation

Today's ride was the last official group ride of my summer vacation. And while there will be plenty of riding to be done this fall, the freedom to get up and go...has gone. I put 1167 miles on the bike since school got out in June, almost half of my 2009 total so far. It has been a good summer for riding...

Two years together and still in love...ain't it grand??? Ha!

...why I'm not blogging

Several days have gone by without a post...why? I sit down at the computer...and...nothing. I ride my bike and think of things to post...but then...pffft...nothing. I think it's partly the end-of-summer blahs. My classroom is calling. Meetings, schedules, lesson plans...all crowding my brain, and, like every end of summer...I am resisting. Once I get going and HAVE to be on a schedule again it will all fall into place. But I'm not officially on the clock until next Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. So until then...I know myself well enough to know that I will continue to indulge my slothful side...waking up without an alarm, going to my classroom when I feel like it, leaving there as soon as the first hunger pang strikes. A young first-year teacher is staying with me for a few days, until her place is ready. She has been gone from morning til night, anxious about getting everything done on time. As she left this morning she asked, "Aren't you going in today???" Eh, maybe, maybe not. But, classes start for her on Monday and not until the following week for me. I'll kick it into gear soon. Really.

Another thing that's been keeping me from blogging is my camera...I miss it! We had an awesome combined class reunion last Saturday night, and...I have to rely on others to supply me with pictures. Nothing yet. And I hate to nag. But. Come on! Maybe because I'm a little weird that way--I try to send pictures out to everyone involved as soon as possible and it frustrates me when others aren't wired the same way. But as soon as pictures arrive...I'll be blogging about dancing like a 17 year old again with my old high school boyfriend who is now divorced and we've been texting and emailing and laughing like the silly that I am/was with my best friend and wondering who the old people in the room were because I'm certainly not that old and having a guy that I dated my junior year not recognize me then slip me his phone number at the end of the evening....yeah...stay tuned for that post.